Today is Earth Day, so we decided to highlight Wendy Gold, who puts a new spin on vintage globes with fantastical applications of butterflies, fish, flowers and messages of peace.

The California-based artist previously spent 10 years decoupaging toilet seats and bathroom scales, but when she became pregnant with her daughter a few years ago, she needed a break from the smell of glue and toxic finishes.

While wandering around a local flea market she saw "an incredible globe, and inspiration struck," she said on the phone. And she's been in the business of re-imagining the world ever since.

Gold aims to be environmentally conscious with her work, only using recycled globes and vintage materials scoured from flea markets and online. She uses books, old wrapping paper, and whatever else she can find, or create.

As an added bonus, all this time working with globes has made her a bit of a history buff.

"Vintage globes are so cool because just by looking at them you can date them – if it says 'Siam' instead of 'Thailand' — then that was in the '40s."

Gold has a series of standard designs for her ImagineNations brand and also takes custom orders. She recently created a tribute globe for a boy who had died of cancer, and one using the crest of a British lord.

"It's a such a cool canvas," she says. "What I love most about them is every single one is a little bit different. So even though I have designs I use over and over again, no two are ever the same."